Nevada considers technology to scan cellphones after crashes

FILE - In this May 10, 2017 file photo, Ben Lieberman poses for a photo at his home in Chappaqua, N.Y. Lieberman, whose 19-year-old son died in a crash involving distracted driving, is urging support for a legislative proposal that would make Nevada the first state in the U.S. to allow police to use prototype technology to find out if a person was using a cellphone during a car crash. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File) Associated Press

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A legislative proposal could make Nevada one of the first states to allow police to use a contentious technology to find out if a person was using a cellphone during a car crash.

The measure is igniting privacy concerns and has led lawmakers to question the practicality of the technology, even while acknowledging the threat of distracted driving.

It would let police use a device known as the "textalyzer" that connects to a cellphone and looks for user activity.

Israel-based company Cellebrite says its technology doesn't access or store personal content. It hasn't been tested in the field and isn't being used by any law enforcement agencies.

The future of the Nevada proposal isn't clear. A similar measure introduced in 2017 failed in the New York Legislature, but lawmakers are considering it again.